Merry Christmas Day

As I sit waiting for my shallots for the cranberry sauce to roast, Christmas wishes to all of you, including my non-Christian friends hunting for open Chinese restaurants today.

It’s funny how, even when you’re half a century from being a child, you still wake up on Christmas morning feeling excited, transported to a special place that looks the same but feels different.

Okay, enough sentiment. On to practicalities: A special helpful tip for those of you who, like me, didn’t quite finish by deadline at 6 p.m. yesterday. There are at least two liquor stores open in Vancouver today (the one at Granville and Broadway and the specialty wine store next to Whole Foods/Capers on Fourth), both of which have very giveable, high-end products.

As well, as I noticed last Christmas, anyone wishing to purchase a polyester dress bedecked with ruffles and artifical lace, they are to be had in Chinatown somewhere.

Lonely souls reading this blog on Christmas Day can feel free to post other open spots where it’s still possible to spend money today. I personally would be interested in hearing about a store where I can buy currants.

Finally, if it’s on today, make sure to watch It’s a Wonderful Life — the motivational film of the 99 per cent, if ever there was one. I couldn’t help wondering, though, as I was weeping through it last night, whether George Bailey would be revered in our city — or just reviled as another evil developer by people unable to distinguish the difference between him and Potter. He was responsible for the single-family sprawl of Bailey Park, after all.